Greetings!

I will be traveling to Munich (for Oktoberfest) in September. I will be taking the S-Bahn from Munich Airport to the Hauptbahnhof. I have a few questions regarding details on how I should go about purchasing tickets. Thanks in advance for your replies!

(1) Do I purchase tickets at a manned-booth or machine, and do I have to then have them validated somewhere or give to railway attendant onboard?
(2) If tickets are purchased at a machine, is the machine relatively easy to operate (do I select arrival/departure stations, or are tickets purchased by zones/areas traveled?)
(3) If tickets are purchased by zones/areas ? anyone know what I would need to purchase in order to get from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof?
(4) At the airport, can I purchase tickets in advance for my return trip from the Hauptbahnhof?

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi

The following website was set up for convention travellers. It might help you

http://www11.informatik.tu-muenchen....00/travel.html

I believe there are ticket machines at the airport for the S-Bahn..if you don't get the info you need at the website Ira gave you you can probably ask at the information counter at the airport as a last resort. There are zones but I think you'll be able to figure out the appropriate fare using the machine.
If you are going to be using public transport while you are in Munich I think you might want to consider purchasing one of the Munich Welcome Cards which provides unlimited use of trams, S and U-Bahn trains..the cost of the card depends on how many zones you choose as I recall. It also comes with a very easy to understand transport map. Some of the major tram lines converge in front of the Bahnhof (right across from the hotel) and you can get anywhere on the S/U Bahn lines from the Bahnhof station (lower level) You can check all that out with the concierge (very helpful I might add) at LeMeridien once you arrive. Further, if you do purchase a Welcome Card it includes the S-Bahn ride back to the airport on your last day. Have a great trip!

Thanks so much to you all for the info. It was very helpful!

There's an information desk at the airport right before you go down the escallators to get on the S-Bahn. We bought our tickets to Munich from them. They speak English!!

You can also buy a strip of 10 tickets. There's a machine that you just punch the time/date prior to getting on board the U-bahn.

Have an Augustiner Keller for me.

Sandy, My buddy and I will be going to Oktoberfest as well, so thank you for asking these questions b/c they helped me as well. Were you able to find accommidations in Munich?

Yes, we booked our hotel reservations last year! We're staying at the Munich Le Meridien, right near the Hauptbahnhof.

Thanks everyone for your posts!